United States Marine Corps 251st Birthday Ball

The observance of the Marine Corps Birthday, on the 10th of November each year, is a time honored tradition among Marines. Whether Marines are in the thick of battle or at peace, we always take a moment to observe the birth of our illustrious Corps.

At a minimum, Marines generally practice the tradition of cutting and sharing a birthday cake, as well as reading the Commandants' birthday messages. When possible, Marines prefer to celebrate the birth of our distinguished military organization with a military ball, including all the pageantry, ceremony, and tradition you would expect from a military ball.

Generally the only people who get to experience this event are the Marines and their dates. A few distinguished guests from around the county and globe get the honor to attend the Commandant's Ball in Washington D.C. Also, each year, our State Department personnel and foreign dignitaries look forward to attending the event hosted by the Marines stationed at the U.S. embassies around the world.

The Shasta Marines are proud to once again bring this special event to the Win-River Casino Event Center. We open our Ball to the community in order to share this unique event of history, tradition, and ceremony that few get to experience. Please join us in celebrating 251 years of the United States Marine Corps.

• Cocktail hour
• Traditional Birthday Ball Ceremony
• Pick your seats & meal for plated dinner
• Performances by the Jefferson Pipe Band
• Discounts on rooms in the hotel

Guest of Honor / Speaker

Colonel Todd Zink started his military career in 1987 when he enrolled at the University of Southern California with a Marine-Option, Naval ROTC scholarship. He earned a BA in Political Science and Economics. On graduation day on May 9, 1991, Todd was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

After completing The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course in Quantico, Virginia, he started as an Infantry Platoon Commander with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. Shortly after arriving there, his battalion was on call to respond to the LA Riots. He was selected to go to the U.S. Army Ranger Course and Airborne Course. Later, he served in a counter narcotics mission on the New Mexico border with Mexico, and participated in Operation Restore Hope as part of a 32-country coalition in Somalia, Africa. In 1993, his platoon in Somalia had the honor to have President George H.W. Bush visit all the Marines standing in their dug-in fighting positions. While in Okinawa, Japan on a Unit Deployment that included a bilateral exercise with the ROK Marines, Todd got selected to be a Force Recon Platoon Commander for 5th Force Recon, III MEF in Japan.

As a Force Recon Platoon Commander, Todd led the Direct Action, In Extremis Hostage Rescue Platoon that was on alert to respond within the Pacific Command region. In that capacity, Todd did bilateral exercises with the Australian Army, Indonesian SEALs and U.S. Special Forces. He completed the U.S. Marine Corps Combatant Diver course in Florida to be qualified on the LAR V underwater breathing system.

Afterward, Todd was sent to Southern California to be an Inspector-Instructor overseeing the training and readiness of the reserve battalion, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines. Todd left the active component of the Marine Corps to complete his law degree at Loyola Law School. He elected to continue his service in the Reserves with 4th Force Reconnaissance Company out of Reno, Nevada as a Platoon Commander. He did winter mountain patrolling, high altitude-high opening parachuting, night LAR V diving, and heloborne amphibious exercises in Hawaii, Florida, the Sierras, and the Bay Area. Upon passing the California State Bar examination, 9/11 happened the drove Todd to rejoin the Marine Corps Reserve joining the very same unit he had earlier trained, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines.

Shortly after 9/11, Todd was reactivated with the battalion as part of the active component to be a Quick Reaction Force to further Al Qaeda attacks on the homeland. The unit was stationed at Camp Pendleton and caught the eye of General Mattis, the 1st Marine Division Commander who extended pass the one year activation to bring the battalion forward as part of 1st Marine Regiment in an integral role in Operation Iraqi Freedom that drove up the Mesopotamian Valley to take the eastern half of Baghdad to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Todd oversaw the training of Weapons Company and became the Battalion Air Officer directing air strikes along the route north to Baghdad.

Afterward, Todd served in a variety of senior officer billets with 4th Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Pendleton, and 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines where he oversaw exercises in the Ukraine with multinational forces. Later, he served in a senior billet with the 23rd Marine Regiment overseeing bilateral training in Morocco. Todd was selected for command of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines with the intent to activate the infantry battalion as one of only three infantry battalions from the reserve component to play an integral role in Operation Enduring Freedom in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The battalion conducted the full spectrum of COIN (Counter Insurgency) warfare in bilateral and coalition operations with U.S. Army, Danish, British, Bahraini, Tongan, and Jordanian forces.

Afterward, Todd was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. In that rank, Todd was selected to be the Inspector General for 4th Marine Division leading three teams each led by Colonels to inspect 104 reserve unit locations across the United States. Later, he was selected to serve as the only senior Marine officer on the staff of 1st Marine Division to be the lead for the seventh warfighting function of information warfare. He formed a multi-unit task force of information related capabilities to give the division an operational advantage in 8 large scale exercises. He was officially retired on June 1, 2021.

Todd in his civilian capacity has served as a Deputy District Attorney in the County of Los Angeles for twenty years prosecuting gang murders and all kinds of homicides. He is married to Christon Esme Brooks and has two sons, Hunter and Connor. He lives in Westlake Village, California.

Details

Attire: Dress is semi-formal, but those with military uniforms are encouraged to wear them. Please no jeans, shorts or t-shirts.

Meals: A plated dinner will be served by Win-River Casino Event Center staff. Guests will need to select the meal they would like when they finalize the purchase of their tickets. This year, to avoid check-in delays, guests may proceed directly to the table/seat(s) paid for via Eventbrite. The meal options are:

• Garlic & Herb Tri-Tip
• Roasted Garlic Chicken
• Vegetable-Cheese Lasagna

Ballroom: We are looking forward to an elegant evening of good food, pageantry, and great company! To ensure comfort for all of our guests, we kindly request a pet-free environment.

Hotel Rooms: The Win-River Hotel has set aside a limited number of rooms for our guests. These are available on a first come, firsts served basis. Reservations must be made at least 2 weeks before the event. Call (530) 243-3377 and mention the Marine Corps Ball.